Method and appabatus foe fobmii-tgr monolithic structures



A. F. VOLZ, JR. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING MONOLITHIC STRUCTURES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1,8, 1919.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

'UNETED sirA'rEs Part; "1" enema,

ALEXANDER- F. "L ULZ. 53., 0F LCUIS. MISSOURI.

METHOD AND APPARATU FOR FORMING fl /lONOLITI-IIC STRUCTURES.

Application filed December 18, 1919.

f b all wiumi it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER VoLz, J11, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of .Missouri, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus for Forming lvlonolithic Structures; and 1 do d clare the following to be a full, clear, and exae i'lescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a ppertains to make and use the same.

T his invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for forming monolithic structures.

The principal objects are to provide a mold in which matrices are mounted on the inner faces in such a manner that when the structure forming plastic poured or pressed into the mold, desired phra es, numorals, emblems. figures, or names will be formed on the structure.

A further object to provide a mold for various shaped monolithic structures in which the letter and emblem forming matrices are mounted in the mold in such a manner that they will shift position in pr portion to the shrinkage of the structure forming plastic.

Vv ith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel all; mentand application of parts as will be more fully described.

l attain these objects by the construction and arrangement illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of two sections of the mold:

Fig i? is a sectional view taken on the line 2? if Fig. 1; and

Fi 3 is a horizontal sectional view of a modified form of attaching matrices to a mold.

Similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the drawings.

llhile this mold is primarily adapted for use in forming tomb-stones it may well be used in molding any number of other monolithic structures regardless of the shape and size.

Reference is now had to the drawing in which is shown vertical side walls 1 of a mold, said walls being shown provided with a number of types of matrices. When it is desired to form on a monument or other structure to be molded, a design, phrase or word, the side wall or walls of the mold Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Serial No. 245,527.

are provided with ecesses at 1 the desired points. The design or emblem to be formed on the structure is duplicated on one face of a matrix or block 2, said block being then positioned in one of the recesses in the mold and surrounded by a plastic composition 3 which primarily serves to retain the block in its proper position. This plastic composition which is preferably stitf clay possesses substantially the same qualities of shrinkage as the structure forming material which is poured into the mold. From this it readily seen tiat the structure formin material being poured into the mold before the plastic composition 3 sets, the matrices will be permitted to move the proper distance in proportion to the shrinkage of the structure forming plastic.

in molds constructed in the usual manner the matrices are rigidly mounted on the mold ith the result that when the structure forming material shrinks the letters formed on the structure are invariably out of shape. Yfith thectmstruction herein described the matrices are allowed to move with the shrinking of the structure forming material and the result is that clear sharp letters or emblems are formed on the structure.

Quite often a structure is to be formed in which the surface will. be irregular. and to provide means for forming letters or phrases on this surface, l provide a mold constructed somewhat similar to that illustrated in Fig. 3. In this form the wall of the mold is curved to conform to the desired curvature of the structure and is provided with a rel of uniform depth throughout. The word or phrase desired is formed by placing a number of letter-carrying matrices in a suitable frame (not shown). A relatively thick layer 1 of plastic composition 5 is at tached to the reverse sides of the matrices and then as a unit is inserted into the recess as shown in Fig. 8. The space around this unit and between the matrices is filled with av plastic composition 6 of the same nature as said layer 5. It is readily seen that this unit may be curved to conform perfectly with the irregularities of the surface upon which the phrases or words are to be formed.

The method employed in forming structures having comparatively regular surfaces may be stated as consisting in insetting a matrix or matrices in plastic material and pouring into the mold the structure forming material. The structure forming material is necessarily poured into the mold be fore the first named plastic sets. The two plastic materials possessing substantially the same qualities of shrinkage, will permit proper shifting of the matrices as hereinbefore set forth.

When inserting matrices as illustrated in Fig. 3 a suitable frame is employed to permit proper positioning of the matrices, which are then mounted on a layer of plastic composition and a unit are insertet into the curve of the mold. space around the matrices is filled with a plastic composition similar to the layer 5 and serves to retain the matrices in proper position for forming the phrases or words on the structure. It is readily see from observation of Fig. 1 that tho-5e matrices may beused to form raised lett rs or emblems on a monolithic structure or may be used to form V or other shaped letters which are flush with the surface of the structure.

From the foregoing description the method and apparatus for forming strnctu res such as that for which it is designeajl will be readily understood without requiring a more tended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the claimed invention.

I claim:

1. In a mold of the class described, the combination of one side of the mold, matrices disposed on the inner face of saidbe permitted to shift position as the material shrinks.

In a mold of the class described, the combination of one side of the mold having a recess in its inner face, mat "ices disposed in said recess, a plastic con'iposition surrounding the matrices, said composition being shrinkable to approximately the same degree as the article forming material whereby the matrices will be permitted to shift position as said material shrinks.

3. in a mold of he class described for forming an article having lettered irrcgu lar surface, one side ofthe mold having a recess of uniform depth throughout, a layer of plastic composition, matrices mounted on said layer, said layer and matrices being disposed in said recess, a plastic composition surrounding said matrices and adapted to secure them in said recess, said layer and last HMHG'Cl'COHIPOSliZlOD possessing ap proximately the same shrinking qualities as the article forming material whereby the matrices will be permitted to shift position as the last named material shrinks.

A method of casting a monolithic structure and forming an imprint thereon consisting in holding a matrix in a mold,

by a plastic composition around the matrix and placing the structure forming plastic in the mold before hardening of said mentioned plastic composition.

5. The method of inserting'matrices in a curved mold consisting in assembling the matrices, applying a layer of plastic composition to the reverse sides of said matrices and inserting the matrices and plastic composition as a unit into the curve of the mold before setting of said plastic material.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 7

- ALEXANDER F. VOLZ, JR. 

